Crowning Moment Of Awesome: Buffy The Vampire Slayer

The moment that was awesome which will be remembered forever, winning your eternal fannish loyalty.

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At issue:

This issue has been resolved and voting is closed.

+96 (yeas:114 nays:18)

Buffy

"Innocence" reminds this troper why he used to like this show.

Judge: Fool! No weapon forged can defeat me!

Buffy: That was then. [takes out the rocket launcher] This is now.

Drusilla and Angel run for cover as the Judge looks blankly.

Judge: What's that do?

[BOOM!]

And Buffy's reaction to killing what it took an army to take down before? "Best present ever."

+93 (yeas:103 nays:10)

Spike

Spike had more than his fair share, but that's what happens when you're the Bad Ass Longcoat.

Buffy: What are you doing here? [Spike begins to answer] Five words or less.

The episode "Checkpoint," where after a full episode of being made to feel inferior by the Zen Survivor Watcher's Council, the ditziest Big Bad ever to appear on the show, and a crazy Knights Templar army of WellIntentionedExtremists, Buffy gives a perfectly calm, almost deadpan set of demands to the council's lead Deadpan Snarker, punctuated by a thrown broadsword. This troper's roommates' ears are still ringing from his cheering.

The scene in all its awesomeness:

Quentin Travers: "We can begin the review at last. We'll skip the more obvious questions-"

Buffy: [places sword over his notes] "There isn't gonna be a review."

Quentin: "Sorry?"

Buffy: "No review. No interrogation. No questions you know I can't answer. No hoops, no jumps, [Nigel opens his mouth to speak, Buffy turns to him] and no interruptions. [begins pacing] See, I've had a lot of people talking at me the last few days. Everyone just lining up to tell me how unimportant I am. And I've finally figured out why. Power. I have it. They don't. This bothers them. ...Glory came to my home today."

Giles: "Buffy, are you-?"

Buffy: "Just to talk. She told me I'm a bug, I'm a flea, she could squash me in a second. Only she didn't. She came into my home and we talked. We had, what in her warped brain, probably passes for a civilized conversation. Why? Because she needs something from me. Because I have power over her. You guys didn't come all the way from England to determine whether or not I was good enough to be let back in. You came to beg me to let you back in. To give your jobs, your lives, some semblance of meaning."

Nigel: "This is beyond insolence-"

Buffy: [flings broadsword, which just barely misses him] "I'm fairly certain I said no interruptions."

Xander: [whispers] "That was excellent."

Buffy: "You're Watchers. Without a Slayer, you're pretty much just watching Masterpiece Theatre. You can't stop Glory. You can't do anything with the information you have, except maybe publish it in the Everyone Thinks We're Insane-O's Home Journal. So here's how it's gonna work. You're gonna tell me everything you know. And then you're gonna go away. You'll contact me if and when you have any further information about Glory. The Magic Shop will remain open. Mr Giles will stay here as my official Watcher, reinstated at full salary-"

Giles: [coughs] "Retroactive."

Buffy: "-To be paid retroactively from the month he was fired. I will continue my work with the help of my friends-"

Buffy: "We're talking about two very powerful witches and a thousand-year-old ex-demon."

Anya: "Willow's a demon?!"

Phillip: "And the boy? No power there."

Buffy: "The boy has clocked more field time than all of you combined. He's part of the unit."

Willow: [whispers] "That's Riley-speak."

Xander: [whispers back, grinning] "I've clocked field time."

Buffy: "You all may be very good at your jobs. The only way we're gonna find out is if you work with me. You can all take your time thinking about that. But I want an answer right now from Quentin, 'cause I think he's understanding me."

Quentin: [clears throat] "Your terms are... acceptable."

+80 (yeas:94 nays:14)

Giles

Giles's return to Season 6: "I'd like to test that theory" had viewers cheering

+77 (yeas:80 nays:3)

Dawn

Dawn to Spike in the second episode of Season Seven:

Dawn: You sleep, right? You. Vampires. You sleep.

Spike: Yeah. What's your point?

Dawn: You know, I probably can't take you in a fight, even with a chip in your head, but if you ever hurt my sister, you're going to wake up on fire.

Spike, shortly after, to Buffy: When did your sister get unbelievably scary?

+73 (yeas:80 nays:7)

Sunnydale High, Class of 1999

The Season 3 finale, where the entire graduating class pulls out weapons and does a human wave attack on the Big Bad.

+68 (yeas:72 nays:4)

Xander

This commenter considers Xander's line "I like the quiet" from "The Zeppo" to be pretty awesome, but apparently the writers and fans largely disagree.

If that wasn't Xander's crowning moment of badassery, I don't know what is.

+67 (yeas:69 nays:2)

Giles

This editor cheered when Giles went after Angelus and company singlehandedly. With a flaming baseball bat. Remember that at this point, the Big Bad is a two hundred year old vampire who even the Master and the (literally invincible) Mayor were afraid of. And considering that Giles has no super powers, spends his days in a library and has pretty much been the Useless Mentor up until his girlfriend dies, that's saying a lot about his badass level. The Badass Scale officially exploded at this point, even if Angelus recovers a minute later.

I repeat, a flaming baseball bat.

+60 (yeas:67 nays:7)

Giles

Personally I'd consider Giles' crowning moment to be when he killed Ben/Glory. That was so ridiculously badass.

It may be a bit morbid, but what Giles says to Ben at the end of "The Gift" (just before his Shoot the Dog moment) sticks out in this editor's mind for sheer badass content.]

Giles: ...[Buffy] couldn't take a human life. She's a hero you see. She's not like us.

Angelus: That's everything. No weapons... no friends... no hope. Take all that away, and what's left?

Buffy: (Catches Angelus' sword with HER BARE HANDS) Me.

+55 (yeas:61 nays:6)

Giles

The frat house sealed Buffy and friends inside? Frat house, meet Giles. With a chainsaw.The main bulk of the Scoobies have been sealed inside a frat house where their worst fears are coming true (again). The doors and windows have vanished from the house, being replaced with solid (wooden) walls. Anya (who is outside) brings Giles in for help. Giles examines the wall.

Giles: We'll need to make a door

Anya: You can do that?

Giles:(pulls a chainsaw out of his bag) I can.

+54 (yeas:57 nays:3)

Xander

Xander at the end of season 6 confronting Willow

Xander: If you're going to end the world, start with me. I've earned it.

+52 (yeas:63 nays:11)

Anya

Anya's soliloquy in "The Body".

Anya: But I don't understand, I don't understand how this all happens, how we go through this. I mean I knew her, and now she's...there's just a body, and I don't understand how come she just can't get back in it and not be dead anymore. It's stupid! It's mortal and it's stupid! And Xander's crying and not talking, and I was having fruit punch and I was thinking that well, Joyce will never have fruit punch, ever, and she'll never have eggs, or yawn, or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why.

This is the only moment on television to make this (male) troper cry. Twice.

+50 (yeas:60 nays:10)

Spike

Spike's deconstruction of Angel and Buffy's relationship in "Lover's Walk" needs to be quoted:

Spike: You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love 'til it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other 'til it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood — blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.

+47 (yeas:51 nays:4)

Xander

"Killed by Death":

Angelus: If I decide to walk into Buffy's room, do you think for one microsecond that you could stop me?

Xander: Maybe not. Maybe that security guard couldn't either. Or those cops... or the orderlies... But I'm kinda curious to find out. You game?

Angelus: Buffy's White Knight. You still love her. It must just eat you up that I got there first.

Xander: You're gonna die. And I'm gonna be there.

Angelus: Tell her I stopped by.

(And then Angelus, the vampire who slaughtered nuns for fun, took on Holtz, and God knows who else, WALKED AWAY!)

+43 (yeas:48 nays:5)

The Scoobies facing down Tara's family in "Family".

Except for Spike, who makes a point, as everyone else is doing their "You'll hafta go through ME first" routine, of saying "You won't hafta go through me, I don't really care". (And then Xander emphasizes: "You'll have to go through all of us...except Spike.")

+41 (yeas:46 nays:5)

Spike

"Intervention". Spike gets tortured by a hellgod that no one has been able to beat, and the only thing he has to do to save himself pain is tell Glory where the Key is. And he doesn't do it. Because he couldn't hurt the real Buffy by betraying Dawn.

Not to mention he escapes -by himself-. When the scoobies show he just has to figure out how he's getting out the elevator, past the henchmen and to his crypt, in broad daylight. Notably the scooby gang showed up to -kill him before he could talk-.

Cordelia: (You're going to) Rip out my innards, play with my eyeballs, boil my brain and eat it for brunch? Listen up, needle-brain. Buffy and I have taken out four of your cronies, not to mention your girlfriend.

Lyle: Wife!

Cordelia Whatever. The point is, I haven't even broken a sweat. See, in the end, Buffy's just the runner-up. I'm the Queen. You get me mad, (gets in his face and glares at him) what do you think I'm gonna do to you?

Lyle: Later.

Keep in mind that Lyle thought Cordelia was a slayer in this scene, and she was playing to that misconception. In other words, bluffing her ass off - which, in some people's opinions, makes it even more awesome.

Willow got a Crowning Moment in the Season 5 finale, when Glory, noticing Tara (who had been driven insane by her) wandering around amongst her minions and contemptuously asking her "What are you doing here?", Willow calmly walks up beside her and replies in a tone somehow both deadpan and with barely suppressed rage "She's with me", before grabbing Glory's head and sucking away all of the energy keeping her mentally composed and redirecting it to Tara, thus simultaneously and instantly healing her lover and blasting a hellgod across a construction yard, significantly weakened.

+35 (yeas:37 nays:2)

Dawn

Toward the end of season 7, Buffy sends Dawn off, out of town, getting Xander to pretty much kidnap her to keep her away from the apocalypse. This happened, and Buffy leaves a touching letter with Xander for Dawn, she reads the note and we hear Buffy narrate what's written on the note - then the narration cuts off midway through, as Dawn tosses the note aside, tazes Xander, takes control of the car and turns right around to go back and fight the evil. And later surprised Buffy turns around to see angry Dawn(who's literally just walked up behind her). She stares at Dawn for a moment, then Dawn kicks her in the shin.

The best bit of this is when you expect a ridiculous Buffy speech but she just says "...if you get killed, I'm telling."

+35 (yeas:40 nays:5)

Oz

Season 3, episode 4: "Beauty and The Beasts". Jealous boyfriend Pete confronts Oz, who's locked in the book cage, about Debbie. Oz tries to warn Pete away by saying that something is about to happen that Pete "probably won't believe", then Pete morphs into Hyde-Pete and lays a smackdown on Oz for several minutes. At one point, Oz manages to put a bit of space between them, and he looks out the window to see the sun dip below the horizon. Cue CMOA: "Time's up. Rules change." Were-Oz proceeds to unleash a full-fledged wolf-fu style asskicking that only ends, fortunately for Pete, when Oz gets distracted and tries to attack Willow and Faith.

+35 (yeas:38 nays:3)

Cordelia

Cordelia snaps at Harmony in "Bewitched, Bothered and Bweildered":

CORDELIA: Harmony, shut up. Do you know what you are, Harmony? You're a sheep.

HARMONY: I'm not a sheep.

CORDELIA: You're a sheep. All you ever do is what everyone else does just so you can say you did it first. And here I am, scrambling for your approval, when I'm way cooler than you are cause I'm not a sheep. I do what I wanna do, and I wear what I wanna wear. And you know what? I'll date whoever the hell I wanna date. ....No matter how lame he is.

+34 (yeas:36 nays:2)

Giles

In season 3, when Giles walks into Snyder's office, giving him a speech about how he'll make life a living hell for him if he doesn't let Buffy back into school. Then...

Snyder: I'm not convinced.

Giles slams him against a wall, grinning

Giles: Would you like me to convince you?

Delivered in a perfectly straight voice (with that Accent!), while still conveying his utter contempt for Snyder.

+34 (yeas:37 nays:3)

Willow

Cordelia is slating Buffy to Harmony and half the IT Class and telling them that she (Buffy) is a psycho:

Willow: No she's not.

Cordelia: What?

Willow: She's not a psycho.

Cordelia: Excuse me, who gave you permission to exist? Do I hone in on your private conversations? No. Why? Because you're boring. [finishes her massive piece of IT work] Finally, the nightmare ends. How do I save?

Willow: Deliver.

Cordelia: Deliver, deliver... [hits "del"]

Its a classic!!

+33 (yeas:35 nays:2)

Giles

Giles in the third-season episode 'Wish.' Taking most of his information by faith, he destroys Anyanka's power center in the belief that the other world "will be better. It has to be."

+32 (yeas:34 nays:2)

Spike

Though the "Fool For Love" episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a good latter-day attempt, Spike gets his in the final scene of "Lover's Walk" where, after a montage of every other character's brooding Wangst, you see him in his car streaking off into the desert sun to find Drusilla, rocking out to the Sex Pistols' version of "My Way".

+27 (yeas:28 nays:1)

Spike

Spike after ruining The Night of St. Vigeous by a pre-emptive attack on Sunnydale High;

Spike: How's the Annoying One?

Drusilla: He doesn't wanna play.

Spike: Figures. Well, suppose I better go make nice. [He walks over to the Anointed One and kneels before him]

The Anointed One: You failed.

Spike: I, um... I offer penance.

Vampire: Penance? You should lay down your life! Our numbers are depleted. The feast of St. Vigeous has been ruined by your impatience!

Spike: I was rash, and if I had to do it all over again... [laughs evilly]

Spike: Who am I kidding? I would do it exactly the same, only I'd do this... [grabs the Anointed One]

The Anointed One: No!

Spike: ...first! [Spike sticks The Anointed One in the nearby cage and starts pulling a chain, lifting the cage up from the floor]

Spike: From now on, we're gonna have a little less ritual... and a little more fun around here. [the cage is lifted into the sunlight. The Anointed One screams as he dies]

Spike: Let's see what's on TV.

+27 (yeas:27 nays:0)

Buffy

From "Anne," when Buffy is with a group of prisoners being introduced to their new roles as slaves by a terrifying demon guard:

Guard: You do not complain or laugh or do anything besides work. Whatever you thought, whatever you were, does not matter. You are no one now. You mean nothing. (To one prisoner.) Who are you?

Boy #1: Aaron. (The guard whomps him with a club and advances to the next person.)

Guard: Who are you?

Lily:(Whimpering.) No one.

Guard: Who are you?

Boy #2: No one.

Guard: Who are you?

Buffy:(Looks up at him, smiles sweetly.) I'm Buffy. The vampire slayer. And you are?

Ass-kicking ensues.

+26 (yeas:29 nays:3)

Spike

Another great Spike moment: in season 4 when rogue slayer Faith wakes up from her coma, the group goes searching for her. Giles and Xander run into Spike, and describe the situation, and Faith. Spikes response "Tell you what I'll do then. I'll head out, find this girl... tell her exactly where all of you are and watch as she kills you." Xander and Giles look at each other in confusion. Spike continues, "Can any one of your damn little Scooby club at least try to remember that I HATE YOU all?" When Xander tries to retort that Spike doesn't even know what Faith looks like, Spike calmly recites Xander's physical description: "Dark hair, this tall, name of Faith, criminally insane. Like this girl already." as he walks off. Xander and Giles are left behind, utterly dumbstruck, until all Xander can say is "We're dumb."

Tara is captured by Glory, who threatens to turn Tara insane unless she tells her who the Key is. Glory describes in great detail what insanity will be like. Tara is obviously scared to death, but she still says nothing.

Mind you, she's also crushing the bones in Tara's hand as she does this. And Tara still says nothing.

+25 (yeas:29 nays:4)

Spike

Spike gets one at the end of "I Only Have Eyes For You", after Angelus has dissed him for the thousandth time (and having sex with Drusilla) while he's been crippled, Spike waits for Angelus to leave, stands up out of his wheelchair and kicks it aside. He follows that by promising to bide his time and wait for the right moment to royally fuck Angelus up. Makes good on it in the season finale when he beats Angelus with a tire iron. It's a bad idea to piss Spike off, even if you're the season's Big Bad.

+25 (yeas:28 nays:3)

Giles

The first time Ethan shows up, we haven't really seen much evidence of Giles' Former Teen Rebel self. So when he shows up in Ethan's shop and proceeds to absolutely kick his ass— in a state of Tranquil Fury no less— it is both unexpected and amazing.

+23 (yeas:26 nays:3)

Buffy

Buffy confronting Jenny in "Innocence". Having just recovered from her Heroic BSOD, Buffy walks into school, goes straight to Jenny's classroom, grabs Jenny by the neck and slams her down onto her desk in front of Giles and the entire class.

On the DVD commentary, Joss' comment for this scene is "I love how violent this is."

+23 (yeas:26 nays:3)

Xander

Or how about Xander being brave enough to go after Buffy and bring her back to life in Prophecy Girl? Even more awesome when he had to convince Angel, Buffy's soulmate, to come with him. All his brave moments in the early seasons just make his later Butt Monkeydom even sadder.

+22 (yeas:28 nays:6)

Spike

The episode "Fool for Love" is Spike's Crowning Moment. An entire episode of Spike taunting and jeering as he explains his history, and tells Buffy in extensive detail how he brutally killed two of her predecessors.

Spike: The first was all business but the second, she had a touch of your style. She was cunning, resourceful... oh, did I mention? Hot. I could have danced all night with that one.

Buffy: You think we're dancing?

Spike: That's all we've ever done. And the thing about the dance is, you never get to stop. Every day you wake up, it's the same bloody question that haunts you: is today the day I die? Death is on your heels, baby, and sooner or later it's gonna catch you. And part of you wants it. Not only to stop the fear and uncertainty, but because you're just a little bit in love with it. Death is your art. You make it with your hands, day after day. That final gasp. That look of peace. Part of you is desperate to know: What's it like? Where does it lead you? And now you see, that's the secret. Not the punch you didn't throw or the kicks you didn't land. Every Slayer... has a death wish. Even you. The only reason you've lasted as long as you have is you've got ties to the world... your mum, your brat kid sister, the Scoobies. They all tie you here but you're just putting off the inevitable. Sooner or later, you're gonna want it. And the second- the second- that happens...you know I'll be there. I'll slip in... have myself a real good day.

+22 (yeas:27 nays:5)

Xander

Xander when comforting Dawn at the end of Potential.

Xander: You're not special. You're extraordinary.

+20 (yeas:24 nays:4)

Willow

Willow's rant to Faith in "Choices":

Faith: Give me the speech again, please. "Faith, we're still your friends. We can help you. It's not too late."

Willow: It's way too late. You know, it didn't have to be this way. But you made your choice. I know you had a tough life. I know that some people think you had a lot of bad breaks. Well, boo hoo! Poor you! You know, you had a lot more in your life than some people. I mean, you had friends in your life like Buffy. Now you have no one. You were a slayer and now you're nothing. You're just a big, selfish, worthless waste

And note that Willow says that when she's all alone, facing Faith who has that huge knife, and they're in the Mayor's office when the halls are full of vampires.

+20 (yeas:20 nays:0)

Xander

In "The Gift", after Spike had called him useless, a "glorified bricklayer" and Anya defended him saying he was good at bowling, the next scene Xander commandeers a wrecking ball and hits Glory with it at the last second to save Buffy for a moment.

" The glorified bricklayer picks up a spare." I know I Squeed.

Also, that wrecking ball was the largest weapon ever used on the show. (Except maybe the anti tank missile launcher).

+19 (yeas:27 nays:8)

Spike, Angel(us), Drusilla, Darla

Spike just killed a slayer, Angel(us) is bored of a rebellion, and the 4 deadliest vampires in all of Buffyverse history walk in formation with flames in the background, Spike leading the way. If that's not epic badass, I don't know what is.

+19 (yeas:19 nays:0)

Tara

From "Bargaining," just after the demon who's choking Willow falls to the ground with a giant ax buried in his back:

"Nobody messes with my girl."

+18 (yeas:25 nays:7)

Spike

Even if you weren't a Spuffy shipper you have to admit Spike being willing to go up in flames even when he knew she didn't return his feelings to save the day is awesome.

+17 (yeas:23 nays:6)

Giles

Giles' "Exposition Song" in "Restless", aided by ASH having a really good singing voice.

"...and try not to bleed on my couch/I just had it steam-cleeeeeaned..."

+15 (yeas:20 nays:5)

Buffy

The series finale: Buffy getting stabbed, collapsing onto the ground, taunted by The First Evil about the wound being mortal, then standing up and just ignoring it. "I want you to get out of my face." Incredibly Awesome Pun, anybody?

In addition, the fact that she gets up in slo-mo with that epic look on her face and the rousing music brewing in the background and then SLICES THREE TUROK-HAN OFF A CLIFF.

+15 (yeas:16 nays:1)

Buffy

Buffy's little look from side to side when asked where Caleb is after she cuts him in half from the groin up.

"I walk. I talk. I shop. I sneeze. I'm gonna be a fireman when the floods roll back. There's trees in the desert since you moved out, and I don't sleep on a bed of bones. Now give me back my friends!"

+13 (yeas:15 nays:2)

Willow

Another great Willow moment was in the previous episode, "The Weight of the World". With Dawn kidnapped by Glory, Buffy catatonic, and Tara having lost her mind, Willow's finally had enough when Xander and Spike start fighting. After forcing them apart with magic, she takes charge, berating them. The entire time her voice is nearly deadpan, but containing a fury that leaves even Anya and Spike afraid to piss her off.

Willow: Buffy's out. Glory has Dawn. Sometime real soon, she's gonna use Dawn to tear down the barrier between every dimension there is. So if you two wanna fight, do it after the world ends, okay? All right. First we head back to Sunnydale. Xander'll take Giles to a hospital. Anya's looking after Tara. And Spike, you find Glory. Check her apartment, see if she's still there. Try anything stupid, like payback, and I will get Very Cranky. (looks at them) Everyone clear?

+13 (yeas:15 nays:2)

Dawn

In Conversations With Dead People, Dawn gets a visitation by what appears to be her mother, which is being supressed by...something. The supressor then tries to terrify Dawn, trashes the house, cuts her up, gives frightening visions - this sequence is basically just Nightmare Fuel Unleaded. But Dawn completely refuses to go, even when the door is help open, and stays complete resolute, because "she's my mother".

Then Dawn, a girl who's cast about 1 spell in her life, finds all the magical ingredients while the house is being destroyed, and exorcises the damn thing, not pausing while the thing mutilates her first, until the damn thing goes away.

Okay, the effect is sorta dampened by the fact it was probably just a Xanatos Gambit by the First, but still. It was frikkin' cool.

+13 (yeas:20 nays:7)

Spike

All this, and no-one mentions he earned his own soul back, something no other vampire has done, or has had any motive to do? Bad tvtropes.

It's because we'd all like to forget that whole arc.

Speak for yourself.

Exactly. The fact that Spike SOUGHT OUT AND RECLAIMED his soul, rather than having it thrust upon him (like Angelus) made the whole "who's the real champion?" debate in Angel Season 5 a moot point, in this Troper's opinion. Angel nobly sought redemption, and was the better match as Buffy's soul mate, but Spike was slightly more heroic.

Although the reason behind Spike's actions is also important. Sure, he's the only one to seek a soul on his own, but he did it to win Buffy back, not out of the goodness of his heart. Which actually makes sense, since vampires aren't supposed to be able to show any human emotion except love (and maybe rage).

+12 (yeas:14 nays:2)

Buffy

Buffy's speech at the end of "Bring On The Night", made all the more epic by the fact that when she makes this speech, she's battered and bruised, and manages to look the stronger for it.

+12 (yeas:16 nays:4)

Willow

Willow: Spike was right. Snap out of it! What you're going through right now? It's called guilt. It's an emotion, and it's important, but it's not more than that. Buffy, you have had the weight of the world on your shoulders since high school, and for one second you wanted it to be over. So what?!

Buffy: I killed Dawn.

Willow: Hello, your sister? Not dead yet! But she will be soon, if you don't come back to us.

Buffy: What if I can't?

Willow: Then I guess you're right. You really did kill your sister. [turns to walk away]

Buffy: Where are you going?

Willow: Where you're needed. You coming?

+12 (yeas:18 nays:6)

Willow

In the finale, Willow using her magic to unlock all the Potentials' powers, complete with white-haired glowing Willow, "Oh. My. Goddess.", and an appropriate summation when the spell is over and Willow flops to the floor, exhausted: "That was nifty."

+12 (yeas:16 nays:4)

Dawn

Season 6 finale, where Buffy and Dawn are fighting the earth monsters: Dawn takes a hit and goes down, losing her sword; Buffy sees her fall, but is unable to help. Then, just as the monster moves in for another attack on Dawn...she somersault-rolls past it (in a very Buffy-like move) and lands next to her sword—which she uses to decapitate the monster in a single stroke. Buffy can only stare in disbelief.

Dawn: (holding up the sword, tiny smile) What? You think I never watched you?

+12 (yeas:16 nays:4)

Spike's Season 7 speech when Buffy is ready to give up: "You listen to me. ... You're the one."

Spike: "I love what you are. What you do. How you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy."

Buffy: "I don't want to be the one."

Spike: "I don't want to be this good-looking and athletic. We all have crosses to bear."

+12 (yeas:15 nays:3)

Willow

In the episode Tough Love, after Glory destroys Tara's sanity, Willow goes on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge, complete with Black Eyes of Evil. Her entrance alone would make this page, floating a few inches above the floor, calling on several destructive gods, casting a spell on Glory, and telling Glory with rage dripping from her voice, "I...OWE...YOU...PAIN!"

And it gets more awesome from there. But between Willow's brand new level in baddass, her spells, her bag of knives, etc, the cherry on the Moment(s) of Awesome is when Willow spits in Glory's face.

You Squeed and you know it. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

"Where The Wild Things Are" was probably the worst episode of the season, but Anya was well and truly awesome and we saw what she would do when Xander was in danger. She charged up the stairs telling the screeching poltergeists who want to kill her to, "Shut up, repressed crybabies!" They responded by making a vine [don't ask] go straight through the palm of her hand, so she pulled it out without even a second of hesitation, and continued fighting her way up to bathroom to stop them drowning her boyfriend.

+11 (yeas:13 nays:2)

Jonathan

In "Two to Go": Jonathan's little speach to Andrew when Andrew is holding the sword to Xander's throat and Jonathan has a sword to Andrew's.

+10 (yeas:13 nays:3)

Dawn

Dawn's speech to Amanda in "Potential", and the subsequent act of sheer guts when she hands over the stake to Amanda, while facing down a vampire and six Bringers.

Drusilla taking out Kendra The Vampire Slayer with a swipe of her fingernail in "Becoming: Part 1".

+9 (yeas:11 nays:2)

Buffy

Enemies. one of those moments that makes me complete adore her:

Faith: Do you think you're better than me? Say it, you think you're better than me!

Buffy: I am. So much better.

+9 (yeas:9 nays:0)

Angel

In "Bad Girls" Balthazar has had his henchmen kidnap Giles and Wesley and is interrogating them for the location of the MacGuffin. Giles stands tall but Wesley quickly folds. Unfortunately for him, while he saw Buffy give it to Angel, he at this point has no idea who Angel actually is. Balthazar adamantly demands the name, at which point Angel Power Walks in to the rescue, delivering the awesome line, "His name is Angel."

+8 (yeas:13 nays:5)

Buffy

In "Bad Eggs", when Buffy climbs out of the Mother Bezoar she has just killed, covered in goo, and gives Lyle Gorch a glare that sends him running.

(Up until this point in the episode, Lyle had made a point of saying "This ain't/isn't over" to Buffy every time he retreated)

[Buffy crawls out, gives lyle a look]

Lyle: "All right. It's over."

+8 (yeas:11 nays:3)

Buffy

How about the season 4 opener "The Freshman"? Buffy punches the vampire that earlier kicked her ass across the room with her broken arm, before turning around to casually chat to her friends, throwing a stake over her shoulder and straight into its heart - all because Sunny (the vampire) had broken her 'Class Protector' trophy.

+8 (yeas:14 nays:6)

Cordelia

Cordelia driving to the library in the Season One finale.

+7 (yeas:12 nays:5)

Buffy

Just come back to life and hunting down the Master, Buffy's Power Walk set to the theme song definitely counts too.

+7 (yeas:16 nays:9)

Angel

Angel appearing out of nowhere to save Buffy at the last moment from Caleb.

+7 (yeas:9 nays:2)

Buffy

Vamp!Buffy in "Nightmares"

Scary. But, you know, there are things much scarier than you. [walks out of the shadows] And I'm one of them.

On a whim, this troper watched the episode in French. The French version of this line is even more badass, ending with "Moi, par example." Me, for example.

+7 (yeas:7 nays:0)

Willow

Toward the end of the third season, Willow is taken prisoner by the mayor and his rogue slayer. As a very minor wicca, Willow kills her vampire guard with a pencil. Then, instead of trying to run away, takes advantage of the situation to snoop in the mayor's office, where she finds and reads the Books of Ascension. She doesn't have enough time to read them thoroughly, but does skim them well enough to discover the most important passages and tear them out to get them to Giles. And then she puts a cherry on top by calling Faith (psycho bitch with super powers) out on her villainy.

A crown with a crown on it, both of them made of crowns.

+6 (yeas:9 nays:3)

Willow

Driving a ten ton truck by standing on the roof of the cab and controlling the clearly terrfied driver. Evil/Not Evil is irrelevant, this is about the most badass thing she ever did.

+6 (yeas:12 nays:6)

Riley

His speech to Buffy on his season 6 return, finally giving her the strength to start putting her life back together.

RILEY: Hey! You want me to say that I liked seeing you in bed with that idiot? Or that blinding orange is your very best color? Or that that ... burger smell is appealing?

BUFFY:(upset) You smelled the smell?

RILEY: Buffy, none of that means anything. It doesn't touch you. You're still the first woman I ever loved ... and the strongest woman I've ever known. And I'm not advertising this to the missus ... but you're still quite the hottie.

BUFFY: You know, it goes away after many bathings.

RILEY:(laughs) This isn't about who's on top. I know how lucky I am right now. I love my work, and I love my wife.

BUFFY: I know. And I kinda love her too.

RILEY: So you're not in the greatest place right now. And maybe I made it worse. Wheel never stops turning, Buffy. You're up, you're down... it doesn't change what you are. And you are a hell of a woman.

+4 (yeas:7 nays:3)

Buffy

Buffy is attacked while ice skating. Angel saves her in a Big Damn Heroes moment. The assassin attacks Angel, so Buffy saves him by slitting the assassin's throat by kicking it with an ice skate.

+3 (yeas:24 nays:21)

Spike

Crazy Spike embracing the cross.

+3 (yeas:9 nays:6)

Harmony

I'm not sure this was intentional, but I and my inner feminist found Harmony's speech to Spike in Crush, coupled with her shooting him with a crossbow, pure, utter, awesome.

What about me, Spike? You forget about me again? The actual girlfriend? I gave you the best ... bunch of months of my life! I thought I could change you, Spike. I thought maybe if I gave and I gave and gave, maybe you'd come around. Maybe be a little nicer. Stop treating me like your dog. But now I see it's you. You're the dog. Who needs to be put down.

+3 (yeas:3 nays:0)

Willow

I think one of the best fight scenes in the series, from a purely technical point of view, is when two vampires from the Mayor jump Vampire Willow and she whips them so fast I had to review the scene to see how.

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